Page 28 of Take My Place

“I haven’t been manipulated,” I say.

“So you want to spend the rest of your life with Romy?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. Right now, Archer, I’m focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Romy isn’t my biggest problem. My father is. I have to figure out a way to get him off my back once and for all. If marrying Romy sets me free from Solomon Archaic, that’s what I’ll do. I can worry about the next step after that. Maybe I’ll stay married to Romy. Maybe I won’t. But that can’t be what I think about right now. There are more important things at stake here.”

“What if I told you I could get you free?” Archer says.

“I’d say keep talking.”

“One of the reasons why your father arranged for me to work for him is so he could set me up to give him an excuse to declare war on the Knights,” Archer told me. “He claimed I stole some documents from his safe. Of course I didn’t, but it’s not like your father needed any evidence to back up his claims. The accusation is enough to put the next stage of his plan in action. However, what he doesn’t know is that I saw a lot more than he realised when I was working for him. I know more about his business than he would ever want his enemies to know. I don’t know what I’m going to do with that information yet, but I reckon we could come up with a plan together that would bring him down for good.”

“Interesting.” I nod slowly. “What about these trips to Italy? Do you know what’s going on there?”

“No.” Archer frowns. “And it worries me. The last time he did a lot of travelling like this he was gearing up for a major assault on the Dauphins. He did an incredible amount of damage to their business and they’re only now getting back on an even keel. If he attacks my family, we’ll be forced to retaliate and although I would never do anything to hurt you, I can’t say that all the Knights share my attitude. Your engagement to Romy won’t be enough to protect you if someone gets it into their head that hurting you would hurt your father, and even after you’re married, you’ll still be the only heir to House Archaic.”

He takes my hands and gazes earnestly into my eyes.“Ivy, you’re in more danger than you realise. The fact you aren’t aware of that tells you everything you need to know about Romy’s true intentions. If he genuinely cared about you, he’d make sure you knew everything that is going on in this town. Knowledge is power. How can you protect yourself if you don’t know what you’re up against?”

“This is nuts,” I mutter under my breath. I stand up abruptly, desperately needing some space.

“Ivy, I’m sorry, but I thought you deserved to know the truth,” Archer says.

“Or maybe, just maybe, you thought you could break up my engagement in any way possible,” I snap.

“It’s not like that, Ivy. Ivy!”

I turn and storm out of the cafeteria. As I stomp through the doors, I run into Milly coming the other way.

“Ivy! I’m so sorry I’m late. I got stuck in my history class.”

“It’s fine. I just need to go.”

I push past Milly, not caring about the hurt expression on her face. I have had enough of people for now. I just need to be alone where the heirs can’t find me and my mother’s past isn’t haunting me.

But in King Town? Is that even possible?

Chapter Ten

Sitting at the piano, I stare at the keys like they might hold all the answers as silent tears fall down my cheeks. It’s all too much. Jealous boys, manipulative fiancés, devious fathers… It seems that all the men in my life want to take something from me and I have nothing left to give. Music is the one solace left to me, but right now, I feel too emotionally wrung out to even sing.

Look on the bright side, Ivy. All this misery will give you plenty of inspiration when you’re ready to write again.

Oh yeah. I am going to have enough songs to last a lifetime at this rate.

I hear the door opening, but I don’t look up.

“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t know this room was in use.”

I sniff and turn my head away so whoever it is won’t see my tears. “That’s okay.”

“Ivy? What’s wrong?”Declan comes over and sits beside me on the piano stool. He puts his arm around me, a simple act of kindness which makes me cry even harder.

“Shh. It’s okay.” Declan pulls me closer to him. “Whatever it is, we’ll sort it out.”

“I don’t think anyone can clean up the mess that is my life,” I sob. “I thought things sucked when I was in foster care, but I’d give anything to go back to being a poor nobody. At least I didn’t have to worry about what people wanted from me. I’m scared that whatever I choose, someone is going to be hurt. And what if my father just decides he has had enough of me and tries to kill me?”

“You were never a nobody,” Declan tells me, gently stroking my hair. “Someone like you shines wherever you are. You walk in and you light up the room.” He pauses. “As for your father…he won’t touch you. I will never let that happen. Neither will Romy nor Archer.”

“You’re only saying that because I’m an Archaic,” I say.

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